The Panthers continued their staggering march toward a 10th state title by coming within three points of their first perfect score in a region meet. Led by individual champion Julia Rodriguez (19:07.30), the Panthers coasted to the region title with 18 points.

“I’m happy,” said coach Roy Harrison, whose team enters next Saturday’s state meet at Dade City’s Little Everglades Ranch as a solid favorite in 4A. “They all ran competitive.”

On a slow, grassy course encircling a middle school, Harrison watched his team collect six of the top seven places, leaving him to contemplate whether this could be his best team ever.

The facts emanating from Saturday’s race all but answered that question: Panthers senior Caroline Gibson, ninth at last season’s state meet, was seventh overall and Plant’s No. 6 finisher. Junior Katherine Ralston, a top-45 state finisher in 2010, is Plant’s No. 8 runner.

Senior Danielle Kissel, who won last week’s District 6 meet, was second (19:14.90). Third-place sophomore Alex Eaton of St. Petersburg prevented a Plant sweep.

“I’m saying it could be the best team I’ve ever had, but they’ve got to prove that next week (at state),” Harrison said. “My best team averaged about 18:58. They’re easily capable of doing that next week, not on this course because it’s so slow. We’ll see.”

The Panthers boys (48 points), also coming off a perfect score at districts, were forced to claw significantly harder to hold off Seminole (51) for the team title. Plant put four runners in the top 11, led by senior Travis Christenberry’s third-place finish (16:31.10).

The top six teams and top 15 finishers from both the boys and girls races qualified for state. The Freedom and Wharton girls also earned state berths, with the Patriots placing third behind senior Ashley Smith’s 11th-place finish. Newsome and Bloomingdale qualified on the boys side.